Let's Play Golf--Maybe Not

What the heck just happened? It's Friday morning and we have an 8:06 tee time as we normally play together, Denise and I, on Friday morning together--not this Friday morning. I woke up this morning feeling very lethargic and decded not to play. Who is this guy, I want to know? What did you do with diehard golfer Dave? I feel horrible. This is not an all out horrible, but the horrible that you feel that you are coming down with something but the sickness package has yet to arrive. I know this feeling very wel and I take some very iportant steps to ward off the impending malaise. Here is what I do. I crack open a bottle of good, affordable wine. I like a good California blend, somewhere in the $12 range. I can't afford anything more expensive because I am on a fixed income, truth is Denise won't let me spend the money because she knows I won't drink it all and what's left will wind up in my famous spaghetti gravy. That's another story, let's move on. I have a couple of glasses of that very expensive $12 wine and then move on to the next step of my medical journey. The next step is to take a nice hot shower. I sit there under the stream of water and let my cares flow away. Not all the cares flow away, and many come flashing into my mind. Remember, I have ADHD so my mind is never calm. After the wine comes the trip to the bed and an all out crash into nocturnal bliss. I love giving you questions to ponder, It keeps you sharp. Here's one, if you take a nap in the afternoon are you in a nocturnal state and are your dreams and the nap itself nocturnal-Hmmmmm.In most cases, the nap seems to do the trick unless you come down with a bad case of a flesh eaing bacteria and in that case you wind up in the hospital. That is another story I will save for later. Another thing that would keep you from drifting off to sleep in your maybe called nocturnal sleep is having to write a blog to post and thinking about what to write. I feel like I have been hit by a truck. There are distinct levels of feeling like you have been hit by a truck. The worst level is when you have body aches, a fever, cough and somtimes an upset stomach. That truck is like the ones seen on the Law Brothers commercials. You know, the big semi diesel trucks you see in the commercials. I'm not there yet. I do have an overall "yuck" feeling of tired ness and bodyaches, and I do feel like I was hit by a truck, but not a semi. I feel like I was hit by a small 1972 Ford Carrier pickup. I used to drive a 72 Courrier, and that was the vehicle that I learned how to drive a 4 speed stick. I have taken my shower and it is now time to pop open that $12 bottle of wine. Here's to taking a morning nap-0I don't think you would call it nocturnal. I hope I will wake up feeling better. Oh yes, by the way it is supposed to rain out on the golf course today. Denise may get wet. Maybe it was a good idea staying home. I will see you in my dream as I am off to bed--nighty night or should I say, I don't know what would you say if you are taking a nap during the day. More impoertant things for you to think about.

Golf-The Art Vs. The Nuts and Bolts

    I have added a movie to my favorites list.  My wife made me sit down with her and watch a movie called August Rush.  I was truly ambivalent about watching the movie, but there was nothing else on TV and my wife was pretty firm about watching it.  Of course, when the wife wants something it generally comes together.  We watched it together and I am truly glad I did. It is truly an inspiring movie.  The movie got me thinking about how sometimes we get wrapped up in the technicalities of what we do and we fail to see the art.  What does that have to do with golf.  Stay with me here for a bit.

     I won't go into the story of the movie.  I highly recommend it and you can follow along with the story when you see it.  What I will say is the August, and that wasn't his real name, was a musical prodigy/genius. He would go out into the world and just listen, picking up on the rhythms of the world around him. He heard the music of life which only he could hear and put them into a musical piece.   He wrote the musical piece down and it was performed by an orchestra. His focus though was not on the technicality of the piece and writing it down in musical form, but on the piece itself. That is what gave him great joy, not the ability to be able to write it down technically on a musical score.   The art was more important to him than the technique.  What does that have to do with golf?    
     It think that many times we get caught up in the technicalities of golf.  There are a lot of them, believe me.  They are there in all aspects of the game, from playing the game to bringing the game to the public.  We break the game down into strategies, such as do I want to hit the ball short of the water and lay up for a great approach, or can I fly the water to save a stroke?  Where does my club head have to be in order to hit the ball straighter?  How can I hit the ball farther?  I need to change the plane of my swing.  How do I do that?  What ball do I use.  What putter will help my game?  What shafts do I need in order to hit the ball farther?  How far did I hit that club? Those are just some of the technical things a golfer can get hung up in, and that is just a few of the things golfers concern themselves with. They clutter their minds with the technical and lose the beauty of that great shot and the course they are playing on.
     I have to say something from the point of view of the golf pro as well. I have heard many pros say that if you want to not play a lot of golf, or quench a person's love for the game--become a golf pro.  There are many reasons for this such as you are around the game so much that you just want to get away from it and go fishing or bowling. I understand that, but this is not true of all pros. 

      However, what happens is that the business aspect of the game gets in the way of the enjoyment of the game.  When do we aerate the greens?  How do I deal with irate customers who are angry about the greens being aerated?  Why can't I get Titlists at a lower price and charge what I want for them.  How come people don't buy equipment from my pro shop?  How can I get members and players to take better care of the golf course?  How do I make more money for the course so that I don't get fired? Should I have a special rate for walkers and not include a cart in my green fees? I think you kind of see the point that I am making here.  It is easy to lose sight of the enjoyment of the game both as a pro and as a serious player.
     Our game is a game of beauty and grace. Just stop and look at how beautiful the course is, be it located on a picturesque bay overlooking the Pacific Ocean or in a housing development in the middle of a big city.  Think about how much fun the game is to play, although you may not think it after your wonderfully struck shot falls into the middle of a lake. Stop a minute and take it all in, the grace and beauty of it all as well as the enjoyment. There is a lot to be found in this game if you just let yourself see, hear and feel it.  Stop, smell the roses and enjoy the game.

Taking Aim on The Aim Point Golf Green Reading System

 OK so here is the question.  Does the Aim Point golf green reading system really work?  Here is the answer, I don't really know. The pros on tour and other competitive golfers are using it, but is it for everyone?  I have my opinions and they are only my own opinions. My opinion and $2 won't buy a cup of coffee, let alone a Titleist ProV.  

Reading a green is truly an art and a skill. There are many ways to do this, wether it be be experience or with a definite system. How many of you remember "The Plumb Bob" method of reading a green? You don't see it much anymore and what you see in growing numbers is golfers using the "Aim Point" What do I think of "Aim Point". First, if it works for you, fine. I strongly suggest that you keep using it. For me though, it is a total waste of time and has the tendency to slow up the game. I won't be buying that Pro V anytime soon, either. I didn't understand "aiming Point" until I saw a video explaining it. Here is what I understand how the system works. First,you find a level part of a practice putting green and yoou put down a level. You make sure that the leve is level and then you stand parallel to the level. This is called "the zero position and you try to feel the level spot with your feet. Brand this deep into your brain as deep as the brand on a prize steer-I don't mean you are a steer but you get the picture. Are you with me this far, it gets better. The next step is you go to a part of the practice green that is sloped-what happens if that particular practice green doesn't have a sloped area, I guess you are out of luck. You put down the level and stand parallel to do as you did with the level part of the green you just measured. Feel the slope of the green and burn it into you memory because this part is crucial to reading the green.. You look at the level and what the level reads as to the slope of the green is called "The One Position". Don't forget how this feels because you are going to need this feel on every green you try to read. Don't go take your nap just quite yet, there is more to come. Wait a minute, we are not finished. As a golfer, you know that putts either are straight, break to the right or break to the left. In "aim Point", how do you read this? This is very simple. You take a look and try to find the line the ball will take from where your ball is and the hole. You straddle the line with your feet planted equally distant on both sides of the line the ball will take. This is how you feel the slope straight, left or right, up or down. How fast is the putt and which way will it break? I hope you have been taking noted, because there will be a test afterwards. There is more to this. Remember the level? Here's where that comes in. When you are strattling the line of the putt feeling the slope of the green with your feet, you extend your arm out to its full length and pull your hand up and back. Remember I mentioned position one two and three on the level? Do you feel your body leaning to the left or to the right? Is you body leaning in p[osition one, two, three or twenty one? The next step is you widen your fingers with the hole lined up with the space between you fingers depending on the number of fingers you keep together. According to "Aim Point", this gives you the amount of break in the putt. Keep in mind that there are only three speces between you fingers, so what happens if you have a five space break? I know that sounds confusing but I can't write it another way. As I said before, I am not a fan of "Aim Point". That is my personal opinion and if you use "Aim Point" and it works for you, more power to you. I'm a pretty good putter and use tried and true ways of putting, which I will share what I do when putting in a later post. In the meantime, have you tried to "Plumb Bob"?